The Doe's Leg

The doe's leg symbolizes mortality. Not only does the doe exist in the poem as a character in her own right, but her dismembered leg catalyzes the speaker's contemplation of life, death, and sisterhood. Thus the leg carries symbolic resonance.

Coyote Scat

Coyote scat not only indicates the past presence of coyotes, but it also symbolizes the metabolism of predators. Like the mountain lion that the speaker assumes ate the doe, coyotes also seek out prey.

The Lion's Shadow

Though shadows can symbolize fear, here the mountain lion's shadow symbolizes the speaker coming to terms with her own fear. She feels a sense of sisterhood with both prey and predator, showing the integration of death in the life cycle.